The Ministry of Interior has called a public tender for drug testers so that the Slovak police can catch those behind the wheel who are under other influences than alcohol.
In a statement provided to The Daily.sk, interior minister Daniel Lipsic declared: “Protecting the life and health of citizens is a priority for us, which is why we are doing everything to make sure that those who endanger others will not be on the roads”.
The Ministry plans to conclude a framework agreement with the winning contractor, which will cover a 4-year period, which will see the Slovak police acquire around 130,000 disposable drug testing devices, for instance.
The devices will be able to detect immediately whether someone has consumed drugs through their saliva or sweat. The contract is worth EUR 3.27 million excluding VAT, and will be competed over via an electronic auction in the hope of getting the lowest price possible.
The new traffic rules from November 2011 give the police greater powers to take away driving licences from people who are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs repeatedly. The Ministry also plans to purchase some speedy vehicles for the police to deal with what they refer to as road pirates.
Silly me, from the headline I thought that they’d be going after the meth- and steroid-heads among the police forces. Guess not.